Become a Confident Publicist: The Complete Public Relations

We cover why PR is so important and vital - WHY IS PR SO IMPORTANT?

“Reputation is the biggest company asset. PR is a powerful tool to maintain positive public image, build trust and credibility and increase sales revenue.” – Nia Thomas

Overview of brands mentioned throughout PR School content.

I mention several brands whom I have worked with productively throughout the PR School workbook. I thought I should spend a bit of time giving you an overview on who these companies are, so you can understand them in more depth.

SLICK LOGOS, PHOTOS AND BRANDING COLLATERAL “The quality of photos can be a BIG deal-breaker when gaining a story!”

While many of you may already know about the importance of imagery, I am frequently surprised by how many people do not. I often get approached by people working for companies, even large companies, who do not understand that amazing imagery is a top priority.

If you would like to put out a Founder to press or you yourself as Founder.

This chapter covers a mix of my clients, as well as CEOs and entrepreneurs who have nailed their photography.

With this next module, we’re going to go into depth on key brand messages that can be included in press releases and ideas about how you can communicate stories regularly to the media.

Once you have collated key messages, I will show you how to write a press release and provide examples. I would like to make very clear that you can send plenty of text in a press release, but it is quite often the photographs and visuals representing a brand that make all the difference.

HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE

Every PR company will have a different strategy for how to write a press release. In this module, I will show you how to write a killer press release, with plenty of case study examples in the PDF booklet given in the first section of the course. The case studies pack includes releases from interiors, beauty, fashion, bridal and corporate brands.

We all enjoy a good story, whether it’s a novel, a movie, or the stories that people tell about themselves every day on social media. Stories forge connections and stimulate emotions. In an ever busy, noisy, technological world, the art of storytelling remains key to holding people’s attention.

After I have introduced a brand or service to the media, the PR then becomes all about storytelling, delivering press releases that can be turned into stories. I will show you a range of ideas to layer and add dimensions to a brand story so it becomes newsworthy. It’s also a good idea to step away from your brand and ask: “Who would care about this? Would the readers of this newspaper be interested in this story?”  These next few sections cover story-telling...

I am constantly brainstorming, I’ve split this section into two to make space for as many ideas as possible.. I hope these ideas and case studies for stories will be helpful to you.  Enjoy story-telling 2

Planning a PR calendar six months and even a year ahead can be a good idea. I normally plan no more than six months ahead. I have given a few examples of a PR calendar, and a brainstorm of the kind of press releases I would cover for different brands over a six- month period. It is a great way to focus the PR mind and line up the press releases you will be sending out month after month.

QUESTION – SHOULD THE FOUNDER BE PUBLIC OR SHOULD THE PRODUCT/SERVICE LEAD THE BRAND?

Using the founder angle in the press is a decision the founder has to make. A founder might be media shy or want to retain privacy about their home and family life. If media shyness is the issue, there is training available to deal with this.

You have a press release ready, a schedule for further releases, and a calendar of activity. How do you contact a journalist? Well, I am going to tell you EVERYTHING!

Learn the many ways to contact and engage with journalists.

There are a few different ways to contact journalists and get their attention. This is the part where you have to be like a polite repetitive parrot, contacting people over and over again. With some brands, I will really go for it, and contact journalists in several different ways.  I tell you everything about contacting journalists here...

We learn about journalists gifting

Gifting a journalist is a great way to get the brand in front of press. They can physically play with, touch and feel a product, really getting to know the brand to see if they like it. Please note the following when it comes to gifting, though.

When you are contacting journalists with a press release, there are a few PR hacks you can use to make the journalist feel extra special – and make it more likely your story will get published.  Here I teach you PR hack and tricks...

We give you all the methods to keep track of press coverage

You may have enrolled in PR School with a view to learning more about PR but still plan to hire a PR firm. After all, if you are a business founder, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of different functions within your operation.

Tips on how to PR over covid